The present invention relates to fire insulating support means for cables, pipes, ventilation ducts, and the like, for installation in a through aperture in a wall or similar structure, which support means comprises a flange-shaped body, which flange-shaped body comprises a platelike member and a tubular member, and which flange-shaped body has an aperture therethrough for the placement of a duct, pipe or cable.
In buildings, ships and oil platforms there are a number of requirements relating to the fire-insulating properties of support means for cables, pipes, ventilation ducts, etc., passing through walls and floors, to prevent the spread of a possible fire through the passage. To comply with these requirements, there are known a number of solutions for devices for passing elongate members through walls and floors to prevent heat and gas from a fire on one side of the wall or floor from being transmitted through the opening into the adjacent rooms.
Known from GB 2203900 A are a method and a device for passing cables through a partition. The device consists of a platelike fire retardant member having a hole therethrough and an integral, tubular extension which extends into a through aperture in a wall or similar structure. The platelike member is positioned on the outside of a wall or similar structure and covers an aperture through the wall. Between the tubular extensions and the walls of the aperture is inserted a carbon or ceramic packing material.
Norwegian patent 175458 shows a device for passing cables through a wall or similar structure which consists of a steel pipe installed in a fireproof mounting through the wall. Projecting from at least one side thereof is a pipe end, on the inside of which pipe end is applied a thin layer of thermally expanding material. To prevent ventilation through the pipe during an early phase of a fire, until the material has expanded, a sealing means is provided in at least one end of the pipe, preferably in the form of a mineral wool plug.
From SE-B 459021 there is known a fire retardant device for a pipe of meltable material, extending through a wall, which device comprises a sleeve of an essentially heat resistant material, which sleeve is positioned on the wall around at least a portion of the pipe that passes through an aperture in the sleeve, and which envelops a mass of material which intumesces on reaching fire temperature. The device further comprises a barrier of fire resistant material, which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the pipe, and a device responsive to the intumescent material which causes the barrier to close the opening in the sleeve when the pipe melts.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,867 is known a thermal hardening sealing gel for flexible couplings. A pipe passing through an aperture in a wall or similar structure is enclosed by a sleeve surrounding the portion of the pipe that passes through the wall. Between this sleeve and the pipe is inserted an intumescent gel. In the event of a fire, the gel in the sleeve will intumesce and prevent the spread of the fire through the opening.
DE laid-open publication 3620234 describes a sealing system for the support means for pipes passing through an aperture in a wall, where a tubular sleeve having couplings at each end is positioned in a through aperture in a wall or the like, and where between the sleeve and the pipe is inserted an insulating material. The purpose of this sealing system is to protect the pipe against corrosion.
From SE-B 404243 is known a heat retardant device for a pipe of meltable material, which extends through a wall. The device consists of a sleeve made of a heat resistant material which is positioned on the wall around at least a portion of a pipe passing through the aperture. The sleeve envelops a material which intumesces under the influence of heat.
From DE 2947593 is known a closing device for a pipe support means positioned on the outside of a fire partition. The device consists of a sleeve filled with a thermally expanding material, which when heated up will constrict and close the pipe.
In most of the solutions described above, the support means are sealed and finished after the ducts, pipes or cables are drawn through. This involves a considerably more complicated process than mounting the support means before the cables, pipes and ducts are installed. Furthermore, if the supporting devices are mounted afterwards, it will be difficult to obtain an adequate seal around the elements passing through the partition due to difficulties with centering, etc.
In addition, with regard to the known systems for passing pipes and ducts through walls, technical fire requirements stipulate that the ducts must be insulated for a length of 1 meter on each side of the fire partition, and pipes must be insulated for a length of 0.5 meter on each side of the fire partition. A disadvantage of this requirement is that the appearance of the pipe or duct may become rather unattractive aesthetically, in addition to the fact that such insulation may be relatively demanding in terms of space. Also, such additional insulation entails increased costs, as well as a risk that this work will not be carried out in accordance with regulations.